Batu Caves in Gombak, Selangor is without a doubt 1 of the most well-known landmarks in Malaysia, being front and centre of many Tourism Malaysia marketing campaigns and a must-visit for any tourists visiting our country.
A picturesque and spiritual landmark, Batu Caves is famous for the majestic natural limestone formation, the towering 43-metre golden statue of the Hindu God Lord Murugan, the various Hindu temples and of course, the colourful 272 steps to the cave itself.
Batu Caves is the 1oth most physically demanding landmark in the world
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Well, the 272-step hike is definitely not for the faint-hearted and just recently, Batu Caves was named 1 of the most physically demanding landmarks in the world.
In a report by British health club chain PureGym that ranks the top 25 most physically demanding tourist spots, Batu Caves placed 4th in Asia and 10th in the world, with an ‘exertion’ score of 40 out of 100.
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In the ranking, PureGym took into consideration the 272-step hike that tourists need to take to the top, the 100 elevation change and the 32.4-degree Celcius average temperature for Batu Caves’ placement in the index.
Interestingly, there are many other tourist spots in the ranking with more steps to climb than Batu Caves, but the Malaysian landmark ranks higher due to the average temperature.
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How the study was conducted
According to PureGym, several factors were looked at for the index, including the number of steps required to experience the landmark to its fullest, the elevation change during the ascent of the landmark, and the average temperature of the location.
These 3 factors were then used to create a final index score out of 100 and the higher the score, the more physical exertion required.
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In Asia, only Japan’s Konpira-san Shrine, Sri Lanka’s Sigiriya and Jordan’s Petra Monastery were deemed more physically demanding tourist spots.
Meanwhile, Norway’s Flørli Stairs with its whopping 4,444 steps, 750 elevation change and 11.5-degree Celcius average temperature was named as the most physically demanding tourist landmark with an ‘exertion’ score of 76 out of 100.
Check out the top 10 global rankings by PureGym below:
Well, if you suffer from a disability or any other reason that prohibits you from climbing up the 272 steps, worry not as Batu Caves is planning to build an escalator as an alternative way up.
So, what do you guys think of Batu Caves’ placement in the index? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Also read: Redhead Tourist Becomes Instant Celebrity at Batu Caves as Many Requested for Photos with Her
